This invention is concerned with a novel one-piece shelf made from a single piece of plastic of uniform density which is divided into rectangular sections by hinge elements so that the piece of plastic may be shipped flat and the sections may be folded or erected to form a shelf at the point of installation of the shelf.
An object of this invention is a hinge element for a piece of plastic of uniform density which hinge element is formed by a miter cut in the piece of plastic which cut has a depth less than the thickness of the sheet of plastic.
Another object of this invention is a one-piece shelf formed from a single piece of plastic of uniform density which is formed with rectangular sections which ar folded about fold lines to form an integral wall attachment member.
Yet another object of this invention is a one-piece shelf formed from a single piece of plastic of uniform density which is divided into rectangular sections by fold lines with some of the rectangular sections being foldable into a nose portion at the front of the shelf.
Accordingly, the invention relates to an article adapted to be erected to form a shelf or the like which may be attached to a wall or other vertical support. This article includes a generally planar member divided by longitudinally-spaced, laterally-extending hinge elements into rectangular sections. The rectangular sections are foldable about the hinge elements to form a wall attachment member and a shelf member of a shelf. The wall attachment member includes at least four of the rectangular sections folded into a hollow tube. The shelf member includes at least one of the rectangular sections with the shelf member being supported by the hollow tube. A return or nose portion may be formed at the front of the shelf by folded rectangular sections. Threaded fasteners, rivets or welding with heat are used to extend through the shelf member and into the hollow tube to hold the assembly together and to support it on the wall or other vertical support.
In a novel aspect of this invention, the hinge elements are formed by miter cuts in the planar plastic member, each of which cuts is not as deep as the thickness of the sheet of plastic so that each cut leaves a thin web of plastic to function as a hinge.